US1205543A - Return mailing-envelop. - Google Patents

Description

F. E. W. HOPKE & L. S. SHARPS.

RETURN MAILING ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED MMLZ, I914.

Patented Nov, 21, 1916.

avwc 11 6020 UNITED STATES P ATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ EDUARD WILLIAM HOPKE AND LEON STEUART SHARPS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RETURN MAILING-ENVELOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21,1916.

- Application filed March 2, 1914. Serial No. 821,884.

'1 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANZ EDUARD WIL- LIAM Horn: and LEON STEUART SEARPs,

citizens of the United States, both residing at New York city, borough of Brooklyn, in the county. of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inIReturn- Mailing-Envelops, of which the following is a full, clear, and concise description.

The present invention relates generally to improvements in envelops of paper or similar material, which are commonly employed for the transmission of messages through the mails or otherwise, and it is more specifically directed to provide what is commonly known as a return mailing envelop.

The principal object of the present invention is to produce an efficient return mailing envelop for use under all conditions .and for all purposes to which articles of that kind may be subjected; which will be economical to manufacture, it being so formed as to require a minimum amount of material in its production, and WlllCll w1ll be arranged in a manner that will facilitate the transmittal of messages between COI'I'G'.

spondents or others 'by reducing to the smallest degree the labor required in directing or addressing the env'elopfor otherwise preparing it for use.

A further object of our invention is to provide an envelop, which, in addition to possessing the aforesaid advantages, will also protect the contents to a large extent against extraction without destroying or at least injuring the envelop to a degree which will make it manifest that the same had *beentampered with, thereby insuring the contents of the envelop from illicit extraction or perusal by others than'gthose for whom they are intended;

Our invention also contemplates a return mailing envelop embodying the aforesaidadvantages, wherein in the mailing of letters and other communications of a similar character, the folding of the sheet bearing the communication in a specific manner, will render thename of the addressee visible. Many other advantages of use will become manifest as the description proceeds and we shall, therefore, now describe our invention with reference to the accompanying drawing s,inwhichl'- igure 1 is a plan view of our mvention showing the'manner in which the envelop is cut from the blank. Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing the envelop portion contain ing the inclosure, and the front flap in extended position, and, Fig. 3-is a vertical section in elevation taken on line A-A of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail,

-in which like reference characters are eInployed to designate similar parts throughout the several views, 7 indicates the front face of the envelop which is tocontain the body portion of the sheet 8, which, for pur- Y poses of clearness of description, we will as-v sume is an ordinary letter-head. Extending from eachside of the front portion 7 are the flaps or extensions '9 and.10 which, when the envelop is formed, are adapted to fold down upon the inner surface of the portion 7 so that the back portion 11 of the en- ,velop, which is preferably cut as shown, may

be'pasted down thereupon. It will'be' seen at this stage of'the production of: our envelop, an open-mouth rectangular bag is formed having the front face 7 and the back portion 11, the ends being closed by'the -inwardly directed extensions 9 and 10 upon which the back portion 11 is firmly glued or otherwise secured. It will be noted that the upper edge of the envelop is provided with a sealing flap of the customary conformation, the function of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

Formed integral with the back portion 11 is a preferably rectangular flap 12 provided with ears or extensions 13 and 14 at each of its shorter ends and a flap or extension 15 projecting from vitslonger edge. -If de-f steam or similar process as may be done' pose to simply crease or fold the parts at that we provide an enwith the envelop now in use, wherein the end flaps are pasted to the outer surface of the back flap.

In use, the sheet 8, which is to be mailed,

is preferably folded on the lines 17 and 18 as shown in Fig. 2, the portion of the sheet beyond the fold 17 being placed within the envelop and this fold resting on the upper edge 19 thereof, the sealing flap 20 being turned into the envelop. When this has been done, the flap 12 is drawn over the face of the communication 8, the window or rectangular aperture 21 rendering the inscription or address thereon visible, whereupon side extensions 13 and 14 and end extension 15 of the flap 12fare pasted over on to the back of the envelop. This produces an original mailing envelop which absolutely protects the contents and which it is manifest will provide an envelop of the ordinary type for return mailing purposes. To utilize our invention for the latter purpose, all that is necessary is to tear the flapfll2 from engagement with the envelop portion, after which the sealing flap thereof may be drawn out therefrom, when the communication or other closure can be readily placed therein and the envelop sealed by means of the flap 20 in the usual manner.

While we have described our invention with reference to the specific embodiment therein illustrated, it is obvious that the same may be varied in minor details without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention. For instance, if desired, perforations may be provided along the lines of the side and end extensions of the flap 12 and the window may be omitted, or covered with a sheet of transparent material to protect the contents of the envelop.

Having thusdescribed our invention what we claim as new herein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A return mailing envelop formed from a single blank of material comprising a rectangular face portion, having end flaps projecting therefrom and a back portion adapted to rest upon said end flaps and be secured thereto to form the containing portion of the envelop, a sealing flap projecting from the free edgeof saidenvelop, and a rectangular extension of the same dimension as said face portion formed integral with the nor mally free edge of said portion andiprovided with a fold along said edge whereby said extension may be folded to cover the entire face portion of said envelop and flaps j projecting from the three free edges of said -55 extension and adapted to fold over upon and be secured to the back portion of said envelop to maintain said rectangular extension in position relatively to said face portion, for the purposes described.

2. A return mailing envelop having a rectangular front/face and a back face formed flaps formed on the three free edges of the said extension and adapted to fold over and be secured to the back of the envelop.

3. A return mailing envelop having a. rectangular front face and a back face formed by flaps extending from three of the edges of the front face, said flaps being adapted to be secured together by an adhesive, whereby the fiaps on the parallel edges of the face pprtion will underlie the larger flap to form a complete envelop, a sealing flap extending from the front face of the envelop, a rectangular extension formed integral with the normally free edge of'the larger back forming flap and adapted to overlie and cover the sight opening provided in said extension whereby a portion of the face of the envelop will be disclosed.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a return mailing envelop formed from a single blank having two rectangular portions of the same dimensions and an intermediate cut-out portion, one of said rectangular portions being provided with flaps projecting from its three free edges, said latter portion being adapted to fold over upon said cut-out portion, whereby the endflaps of said rectangular portion will cooperate with said cut-out portion to form a complete envelop, extensions being formed along the three free edges of the remaining rectangular portion, whereby said latter portion may be folded over upon and completely cover the face portion of the envelop, its flaps being adapted to be folded over upon and adhere to the back portion of the envelop;-

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ EDUARD WILLIAM HOPKE. LEON STEUART SHARPS.

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